Method of making poles



' Sept. 27, 1932. c, WALLEN METHOD OF MAKING POLES Filed Jan. 25, 1930 Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR G. WAT-LEN, OF BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TR'U'SCON STEEL COM- PANY, OI YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN METHOD OF MAKING IPOLES Application filed January 23, 1930. Serial No. 422,709.

This invention relates to pole structures, which are adapted to support electrical conductors, pipes, wire cables, and the like. Heretofore, poles of this character have been made of rolled sections, which necessarily had the same thickness throughout the length of the section. I This resulted in the attainment of a relatively heavy pole and increased the cost to a prohibitive degree. It is desirable in poles of this nature to have the bottom of thepole made of relatively thick material in order to avoid objectionable deflection particularly in the case of trolley wire poles. Such degree of thickness is not normally nec essary however at the top of the pole.

One of the objects of the present invention therefore, is to make a pole structure which will require a minimum amount of material in order to obtain the necessary strength and also to provide an economical method of pole manufacture.

I accomplish these objects by providing a pole, having oppositely facing sections, which may be fastened together in any suitable way.

Each section comprises a sheet metal member, which is formed from blanks of different thickness but of the same width, butt-welded togetherend to end to form a single strip. After the butt-welding operation is completed, each strip is shaped to form preferably a channel as by a rolling operation, and then the channels are fastened together, as by a. zigzag shaped lattice bar, which is welded to the web portions of the channels.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the stock which is used in one form of pole manufacture embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the material shown in Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the blanks butt-welded together to form a single strip; Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the strip of Fig. 3 shaped to form a channel; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4; 6 is a vertical section through a part of the completed pole; Fig. 7

is a transverse section through the completed pole; Fig. 8 is a transverse section through a modified form of pole construction; and Fig. 9 is an end elevation of part of the pole made in accordance with the construction shown in Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown blanks of sheet metal at 10, 11 and 12 which are preferably the same in width but different in thicknesses. These blanks are placed end to end so that the thickness decreases progressively from one end to the other. The adjacent ends are butt-welded, as alon the lines 13 and 14, to form a single strip of uniform width but of varying thickness. During the welding operation, I preferably maintain one face of the blanks in a common plane so that the other face has a stepped relationship. If desired however, the blanks can be welded together so that both faces have a stepped relationship.

After the butt-welding operation is com pleted, the strip is subjected preferably to a rolling operation to form a channel by turning the marginal edges upwardly as at 15 and 16, as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. These channel members are then used as longitudinal members to form the pole.

One form of pole structure is made by placing two channels face to face, as is shown in Fig. 7, and then connecting them by welding the bends 17 of a zigzagged shaped lattice bar 18 to each channel. This lattice bar extends substantially throughout the lengthis shown in Fig. 8, wherein two pole struct-ures after having been completed, as heretofore described and shown in Figs. 7 and 8, are placed side by side with adjacent flanges in 61 contiguous relationship, as is shown at 20 in Fig. 8. Such flanges are then rigidly connected together, as by bolts 21 which extend through the flanges at spaced intervals. This construction may be suitable for certain 10 special requirements, which necessitate a pensive to manufacture, and yet possesses great strength with a minimum amount of material.

I claim:

1. A step in the method of making a pole structure, comprising taking flat blanks of metal of different thickness, and butt-welding the blanks in end to end relationship while they are flat to form a single strip.

2. A method of making a pole structure, comprising'taking flatmetal blanks of different thicknesses, butt-welding them end to end to form astrip, and then shaping the strip so as to subject the welds to a forming operation.

3. A method of making a pole member, comprising taking sections of sheet metal of different thickness but of-substantially the same width, and butt-welding the ends of the sections together to form a single strip having uniform width but different thickness from end to end.

4. A method of making a pole member, comprising taking sections of sheet metal of substantially the same width but of different thickness, butt-welding the ends of the sections together so as to form a single strip having the faces on one side lying substantially in a common plane, and those on the other side in stepped relationship.

5. A method of making a pole member, comprising taking sections of sheet metal of substantially the same width but of different thickness, butt-welding the ends of the sections together to form a single strip having at least one face in stepped relationship, and then deforming the strip longitudinally and crosswise of the welds, whereby the welds are subjected to a strength test during the formation of the member.

6. A method of making a pole member, comprising taking blanks of sheet metal of substantially uniform Width but of different thickness, butt-welding the ends of the blanks tially in a common plane.

8. A method of making a pole, comprising butt-welding together the ends of blanks of metal to form a single strip, deforming such strips longitudinally and across the welds, and then placing two of said strips in opposition to each other and welding a connecting member at spaced intervals onto the strips.

9. The method of forming poles and the like, which consists in securing together end to end metal sheets of successively different thicknesses to form a blank and thereafter rolling the assembled sheets or blanks to produce longitudinally disposed offset portions, constituting stiffening reinforcements.

10. The method of forming poles and the like, which consists in securing together end to end metal sheets of successively different thicknesses to form a blank and thereafter rolling the assembled sheets, or blanks to provide longitudinally disposed offset portions that extend across the joints between the sheets and constitute stiffening reinforcements both for the sheet sections and at the joints between them.

11. The'method of forming poles and the like, which consists in securing together end to end metal sheets of successively different thicknesses to form a blank and thereafter rolling the assembled sheets or blanks to offset the longitudinal margins thereof and form substantially continuous stiffenin reinforcements throughout the length of the structure.

12. The method of forming poles and the like, which consists in butt-welding end to end a plurality of sheets of successively different thicknesses and rolling the sheets to provide longitudinal portions that reinforce the structure and narrow down the resultant product.

13. The method of forming poles and the like, which consists in welding together end to end sheets of successively different thicknesses to form an elongated blank, and thereafter longitudinally deforming the to produce a self-sustaining pole structure.

14. The method of forming poles and the like, which consists in placing end to end sheets, each of a different thickness than the adjoining sheet and of substantially the same thickness throughout its own area, weldin said sheets together to provide a blank an then longitudinally bending said blank to whose wall thicknem provide a pole bod e respective thicknesses varies according to of the sheet.

. 15. The method of forming poles and the like which consists in butt-welding end to end a lurality of sheets of successively difierent thicknesses and rolling the sheets to offset the longitudinal margins and produce long:- tudmal flanges therealong that reinforce t e structure and narrow down the resultant product.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

ARTHUR C. WALLEN. 

